, for example, nbc's kevin tibbles out in the cold tonight in chicago. kevin, good evening. >> reporter: hey, why not? well, it will take a couple more frigid days to freeze the chicago river, but tonight temperatures here in chicago, new york and elsewhere are colder than they are in juneau, alaska. [ sirens ] at one point, some 200 chicago firefighters battled a massive extra alarm warehouse fire in temperatures hovering just above zero. pouring on the water throughout the day, struggling with frozen hydrants and icy ladders. >> the stress on us, i mean, we're firefighters and we're used to dealing with the cold. >> reporter: an eerie scene of the smoldering ruins encased in ice. after a mild start to the winter in many places, this bitter cold has taken much of the nation by surprise. the coldest place in the u.s. today, a previous winner, international falls, minnesota at minus 20. but low temps gripped cities across the map. and for those working outside, time for precautions. as frostbite can set in after just ten minutes of exposure. servicing aircraft at rhode island's tf green airpo
